I had read about the “only theatre in town” in the trade press and local papers in the late 1910s - the Palm Theatre. It’s listed for sale and the town is again described in the 1920s a a one theatre town with its movie house known as the Popular Theatre. So it’s likely that the building in the silent days spent time as the Conn, Palm, and Popular becoming the Granada with sound followed by the Cloud, Popcorn Palace and Cloud Twin.
General Cinema Corp. began the GCC Northdale Court 6 on May 24, 1985. It closed the venue in October of 1991. Cobb Theatres took on the location as the Northdale Court in December of 1991. Cobb sold off its portfolio officially on June 11, 1997 and the venue resumed changing its name to the Regal Northdale Court 6. Regal closed on June 13, 1999 as an arthouse. It was said to be converted to a fitness center.
The Palace Cinema and Pub: Buccaneer Square opened March 8, 1984 with “Gorky Park.” The name was tweaked within a year to the Buccaneer Palace Cinema and Pub. The venue was then twinned becoming the Buccaneer Palace Cinema Pubs. By the end of 1987, it was operating as the Buccaneer Square Palace Cinema Pubs.
On November 19, 1999, the venue changed names if not operators to Buccaneers Cinema Bar & Grill with an official Grand Opening held on December 17, 1999. The theatre closed permanently on July 9, 2000 with “Scary Movie” and “Road Trip.” Three days later, the entire venue was auctioned off including its projectors.
The AMC Horizon Park 4 closed on September 30, 1997 with “Hoodlum,” “Fire Down Below,” “Money Talks” and “Kull: The Conqueror.” The AMC Twin Bays 4, which had opened the same day as the Horizon Park, closed two days prior on September 28, 1997.
The General Cinema Renaissance Center project was announced in 1986 but the City put the project on hold over a road project. Since the circuit already had a presence at the Altamonte Mall, the wait likely wasn’t as urgent as for the center’s owners. Renaissance Center launched in Fall of 1989 and the General Cinema Altamonte 8 Renaissance Center opened May 25, 1990 along with the General Cinema Lake Mary Centre 8.
GCC closed the twin-screen venue in the Altamonte Mall’s parking lot on March 23, 2000 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement. That property was razed. But General Cinema was headed toward bankruptcy that same year. The chain’s reliance on aging multiplexes was decimated by other chains which built modern megaplexes. Retaining symmetry with the Lake Mary, General Cinema closed both locations on September 28, 2000. General Cinema also vanquished the Colonial Promenade and Fashion Square that day to exit the Orlando market altogether. GCC would announce its bankruptcy plans which found its skeletal remaining portfolio of theatres eventually sold off to AMC Theatres.
AMC would open an 18-screen megaplex in 2003 at Altamonte leaving time for more money to be squeezed from the 8-screen multiplex. Entertainment FilmWorks Circuit of Florida took on the Altamonte and Colonial Promenade locations in 2001 on five-year leases. SunStar Theatres took on the Lake Mary 8 on January 19, 2001. The Altamonte then re-emerged on July 20, 2001. The Promenade was the first of the GCC venues to re-closed just a year later on October 31, 2002.
The Altamonte 8 passed from EFW Circuit to Theatre Management Inc. / TMI Theatres Circuit of Deland on December 15, 2002 continuing first-run films. The AMC 18 launched on June 27, 2003 and TMI closed its Altamonte 8 on July 20, 2003 transferring ownership to new operator Jim Norton of JPN Cinemas. The Altomaonte returned that Friday on July 25th repositioned as an art film venue with some second-run titles in August of 2003 under the name of Altamonte Cinema 8. It closed on January 2, 2005.
TouchStar Cinemas, which had taken on the former GCC / EFW Colonial Promenade, gave the Altamonte 8 one last chance as an ultra discount, sub-run house. It relaunched June 17, 2005 in time for the Memorial Day weekend offering $1 popcorn, drinks and films. It added Middle Eastern films to its second-run mix and almost inexplicably gave the theatre an overhaul in January of 2006. TouchStar left the venue on August 17, 2006 with programming ostensibly continuing at the Picture Show at Alamonte Springs.
The Colonial Promenade, which had opened on May 9, 1986, was closed along with many other General Cinema Corp. locations on September 28, 2000 as the circuit was on its last legs. The chain’s reliance on aging multiplexes was decimated by other chains which built modern megaplexes. Along with the Colonial Promenade, General Cinema also vanquished the Lake Mary Centre 8, Altamonte 8, and Fashion Square that day to exit the Orlando market. GCC would announce its bankruptcy plans which found its skeletal remaining portfolio of theatres eventually sold off to AMC Theatres.
Entertainment Film Works Theatres Circuit of Florida (EFW) took on this venue and the Altamonte 8 - both on 5-year leases. EFW’s Colonial Promenade 6 bowed on August 6, 2001 and EFW found out what GCC already knew - that the going was very difficult. The circuit shuttered the venue just a year later October 31, 2002.
TouchStar gave the theatre a successful relaunch as a second-run discount house beginning on June 13, 2003 with sellouts occurring often on busy weekends and ultra-discounted pricing on Tuesdays. TouchStar left the venue on May 22, 2011. On September 23, 2011, the shopping center found operators to run the theatre as part Bollywood and part second-run features. The popular theatre closed just shy of its 30th anniversary on January 29, 2015.
The Lake Mary Centre Cinema 8, which had opened on May 25, 1990, was closed along with many other General Cinema Corp. locations on September 28, 2000 as the circuit was on its last legs. The chain’s reliance on aging multiplexes was decimated by other chains which built modern megaplexes. Along with the Lake Mary, General Cinema also vanquished the Colonial Promenade, Altamonte 8, and Fashion Square to exit the Orlando market. GCC would announce its bankruptcy plans which found its skeletal remaining portfolio of theatres eventually sold off to AMC Theatres.
SunStar Theatres Circuit of Coral Springs took on this venue on January 19, 2001 as the Lake Mary 8 Cinemas. The theatre was closed following the January 20, 2008 screenings ending the theater’s run. The space was converted to a fitness center.
Floyd Theatre Circuit closed the Pine Hills Twin with “Roxanne” and “Back to the Beach” on October 1, 1987 with all seats costing just 50 cents. The space ws converted to a waterbed retail shop in 1988.
General Cinema operated the Parkwood Plaza Cinema I & II for its entire 30-year leasing period closing February 28, 1991 with “Home Alone” and “King Ralph.” It cited lack of business as its reason for non-renewal.
A new theatre initially called the Granada opened here in 1933. In 1941, the theatre received a major refresh and was renamed as the Cloud Theatre. The theatre continued though languished at the end of the 1960s operating on a weekends-only policy. The Cloud’s new ownership out of New York tried seven-day programming beginning at Thanksgiving of 1970s only to close in 1971 with its seating given to City Hall.
In 1973, it reopened as an adult theatre. Protests ended that quickly and it returned to family fare in 1973, closing and reopening in 1975 and closing again that December, according to the marquee, just “for the winter.” That sign on the marquee lasted almost comically well into next summer and beyond. The theatre appears to have remained closed until operated as the Popcorn Palace when it had a grand reopening on December 14, 1995 with “Too Wong Foo.” It closed at the end of a leasing agreement on December 7, 2000. It was offered for sale in the local paper.
The theatre reopened as the St. Cloud Twin Theatre on August 7, 2002 with “Like Mike” and “Reign of Fire.” The theatre closed from March to September of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened and was still going in the 2020s.
Genera Cinema Corp. Circuit launched the Altamonte Cinema I & II with “The Great Waldo Pepper” and “Murder on the Orient Express” on March 28, 1975. The theatre was an outparcel building in the Altamonte Mall’s parking lot. GCC closed the venue on March 23, 2000 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement with “My Dog Skip” and a split screen with “Reindeer Games” sharing with “Snow Day.” The theatre was razed shortly thereafter. A modern megaplex by AMC was created for the shopping center.
Project was started by Chris McGuire Cinema Circuit in 1969 but ended up a Cobb Theatre at launch. It opened December 25, 1970 with “Easy Rider” and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.“ It closed March 14, 1993 with "Home Alone 2” and “A River Runs Through It.” It was retrofitted as a spa soon thereafter.
The Fairvilla Cinema I & II was closed with an agreement with local law enforcement after screenings on September 3, 1991. The venue continued but without film screenings.
The Conway 2 closed as an independent - dropped by Eastern Federal in 1984 - as a sub-run discount dollar house with “Big Momma’s House” splitting a screen with “Pokemon: The Movie - 2000” and “X-Men” on September 25, 2000.
Eastern Federal closed the Northgate 4 on May 2, 1993 as a sub-run dollar discount house and the films, “A Few Good Men,” “The Bodyguard,” “Sommersby,” “Mad Dog & Glory” and Alive.“ It was only operated by Eastern Federal.
The Paramount Theatre opened with Maurice Chevalier in Paramount’s “The Singing Lieutenant on August 6, 1931. The $300,000 Publix-Paramount project was built by Kaiser-Ducett of Joliet, Illinois. Following the Paramount Decree, Skirball Brothers operated the venue. It closed permanently on June 2, 1974. Demolition then began on June 10, 1974.
The Dreamland opened September 2, 1912. It closed after eight months in June of 1913. It was converted for other usage as Atwood’s Barber Shop in July of 1913.
The St. Paul Opera House was built in 1880 by Nicholas J. Paul. The first movies to be shown in St. Paul were at the Opera House which was renamed Elite Theatre on June 16, 1911. The Elite appears to have opened on June 16, 1911 with movies. The theatre switched to talkies and played “The Jazz Singer” on June 16, 1930. James W.Crouch sold the Elite Theatre to Fred Jungclaus taking ownership following the February 28, 1930 shows.
Jungclaus renamed the venue as the Riviera Theatre beginning March 2, 1930 with Bebe Daniels in “Rio Rita.” Though the Riviera was active into the 1960s, regular operation ceased following the September 15, 1954 showing of “Francis Joins the Wacs.” Chamber of Commerce, special interest commercial and public service screenings and holiday films appeared into at least 1966 at the Riviera.
The other CinemaTreasure entry in St. Paul is a duplicate
I had read about the “only theatre in town” in the trade press and local papers in the late 1910s - the Palm Theatre. It’s listed for sale and the town is again described in the 1920s a a one theatre town with its movie house known as the Popular Theatre. So it’s likely that the building in the silent days spent time as the Conn, Palm, and Popular becoming the Granada with sound followed by the Cloud, Popcorn Palace and Cloud Twin.
General Cinema Corp. began the GCC Northdale Court 6 on May 24, 1985. It closed the venue in October of 1991. Cobb Theatres took on the location as the Northdale Court in December of 1991. Cobb sold off its portfolio officially on June 11, 1997 and the venue resumed changing its name to the Regal Northdale Court 6. Regal closed on June 13, 1999 as an arthouse. It was said to be converted to a fitness center.
The Palace Cinema and Pub: Buccaneer Square opened March 8, 1984 with “Gorky Park.” The name was tweaked within a year to the Buccaneer Palace Cinema and Pub. The venue was then twinned becoming the Buccaneer Palace Cinema Pubs. By the end of 1987, it was operating as the Buccaneer Square Palace Cinema Pubs.
On November 19, 1999, the venue changed names if not operators to Buccaneers Cinema Bar & Grill with an official Grand Opening held on December 17, 1999. The theatre closed permanently on July 9, 2000 with “Scary Movie” and “Road Trip.” Three days later, the entire venue was auctioned off including its projectors.
The AMC Horizon Park 4 closed on September 30, 1997 with “Hoodlum,” “Fire Down Below,” “Money Talks” and “Kull: The Conqueror.” The AMC Twin Bays 4, which had opened the same day as the Horizon Park, closed two days prior on September 28, 1997.
The General Cinema Renaissance Center project was announced in 1986 but the City put the project on hold over a road project. Since the circuit already had a presence at the Altamonte Mall, the wait likely wasn’t as urgent as for the center’s owners. Renaissance Center launched in Fall of 1989 and the General Cinema Altamonte 8 Renaissance Center opened May 25, 1990 along with the General Cinema Lake Mary Centre 8.
GCC closed the twin-screen venue in the Altamonte Mall’s parking lot on March 23, 2000 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement. That property was razed. But General Cinema was headed toward bankruptcy that same year. The chain’s reliance on aging multiplexes was decimated by other chains which built modern megaplexes. Retaining symmetry with the Lake Mary, General Cinema closed both locations on September 28, 2000. General Cinema also vanquished the Colonial Promenade and Fashion Square that day to exit the Orlando market altogether. GCC would announce its bankruptcy plans which found its skeletal remaining portfolio of theatres eventually sold off to AMC Theatres.
AMC would open an 18-screen megaplex in 2003 at Altamonte leaving time for more money to be squeezed from the 8-screen multiplex. Entertainment FilmWorks Circuit of Florida took on the Altamonte and Colonial Promenade locations in 2001 on five-year leases. SunStar Theatres took on the Lake Mary 8 on January 19, 2001. The Altamonte then re-emerged on July 20, 2001. The Promenade was the first of the GCC venues to re-closed just a year later on October 31, 2002.
The Altamonte 8 passed from EFW Circuit to Theatre Management Inc. / TMI Theatres Circuit of Deland on December 15, 2002 continuing first-run films. The AMC 18 launched on June 27, 2003 and TMI closed its Altamonte 8 on July 20, 2003 transferring ownership to new operator Jim Norton of JPN Cinemas. The Altomaonte returned that Friday on July 25th repositioned as an art film venue with some second-run titles in August of 2003 under the name of Altamonte Cinema 8. It closed on January 2, 2005.
TouchStar Cinemas, which had taken on the former GCC / EFW Colonial Promenade, gave the Altamonte 8 one last chance as an ultra discount, sub-run house. It relaunched June 17, 2005 in time for the Memorial Day weekend offering $1 popcorn, drinks and films. It added Middle Eastern films to its second-run mix and almost inexplicably gave the theatre an overhaul in January of 2006. TouchStar left the venue on August 17, 2006 with programming ostensibly continuing at the Picture Show at Alamonte Springs.
The Colonial Promenade, which had opened on May 9, 1986, was closed along with many other General Cinema Corp. locations on September 28, 2000 as the circuit was on its last legs. The chain’s reliance on aging multiplexes was decimated by other chains which built modern megaplexes. Along with the Colonial Promenade, General Cinema also vanquished the Lake Mary Centre 8, Altamonte 8, and Fashion Square that day to exit the Orlando market. GCC would announce its bankruptcy plans which found its skeletal remaining portfolio of theatres eventually sold off to AMC Theatres.
Entertainment Film Works Theatres Circuit of Florida (EFW) took on this venue and the Altamonte 8 - both on 5-year leases. EFW’s Colonial Promenade 6 bowed on August 6, 2001 and EFW found out what GCC already knew - that the going was very difficult. The circuit shuttered the venue just a year later October 31, 2002.
TouchStar gave the theatre a successful relaunch as a second-run discount house beginning on June 13, 2003 with sellouts occurring often on busy weekends and ultra-discounted pricing on Tuesdays. TouchStar left the venue on May 22, 2011. On September 23, 2011, the shopping center found operators to run the theatre as part Bollywood and part second-run features. The popular theatre closed just shy of its 30th anniversary on January 29, 2015.
The Lake Mary Centre Cinema 8, which had opened on May 25, 1990, was closed along with many other General Cinema Corp. locations on September 28, 2000 as the circuit was on its last legs. The chain’s reliance on aging multiplexes was decimated by other chains which built modern megaplexes. Along with the Lake Mary, General Cinema also vanquished the Colonial Promenade, Altamonte 8, and Fashion Square to exit the Orlando market. GCC would announce its bankruptcy plans which found its skeletal remaining portfolio of theatres eventually sold off to AMC Theatres.
SunStar Theatres Circuit of Coral Springs took on this venue on January 19, 2001 as the Lake Mary 8 Cinemas. The theatre was closed following the January 20, 2008 screenings ending the theater’s run. The space was converted to a fitness center.
Floyd Theatre Circuit closed the Pine Hills Twin with “Roxanne” and “Back to the Beach” on October 1, 1987 with all seats costing just 50 cents. The space ws converted to a waterbed retail shop in 1988.
General Cinema operated the Parkwood Plaza Cinema I & II for its entire 30-year leasing period closing February 28, 1991 with “Home Alone” and “King Ralph.” It cited lack of business as its reason for non-renewal.
A new theatre initially called the Granada opened here in 1933. In 1941, the theatre received a major refresh and was renamed as the Cloud Theatre. The theatre continued though languished at the end of the 1960s operating on a weekends-only policy. The Cloud’s new ownership out of New York tried seven-day programming beginning at Thanksgiving of 1970s only to close in 1971 with its seating given to City Hall.
In 1973, it reopened as an adult theatre. Protests ended that quickly and it returned to family fare in 1973, closing and reopening in 1975 and closing again that December, according to the marquee, just “for the winter.” That sign on the marquee lasted almost comically well into next summer and beyond. The theatre appears to have remained closed until operated as the Popcorn Palace when it had a grand reopening on December 14, 1995 with “Too Wong Foo.” It closed at the end of a leasing agreement on December 7, 2000. It was offered for sale in the local paper.
The theatre reopened as the St. Cloud Twin Theatre on August 7, 2002 with “Like Mike” and “Reign of Fire.” The theatre closed from March to September of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but reopened and was still going in the 2020s.
Genera Cinema Corp. Circuit launched the Altamonte Cinema I & II with “The Great Waldo Pepper” and “Murder on the Orient Express” on March 28, 1975. The theatre was an outparcel building in the Altamonte Mall’s parking lot. GCC closed the venue on March 23, 2000 at the end of a 25-year leasing agreement with “My Dog Skip” and a split screen with “Reindeer Games” sharing with “Snow Day.” The theatre was razed shortly thereafter. A modern megaplex by AMC was created for the shopping center.
Project was started by Chris McGuire Cinema Circuit in 1969 but ended up a Cobb Theatre at launch. It opened December 25, 1970 with “Easy Rider” and Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.“ It closed March 14, 1993 with "Home Alone 2” and “A River Runs Through It.” It was retrofitted as a spa soon thereafter.
The Fairvilla Cinema I & II was closed with an agreement with local law enforcement after screenings on September 3, 1991. The venue continued but without film screenings.
The Conway 2 closed as an independent - dropped by Eastern Federal in 1984 - as a sub-run discount dollar house with “Big Momma’s House” splitting a screen with “Pokemon: The Movie - 2000” and “X-Men” on September 25, 2000.
Closed as a sub-run, discount dollar house following the February 13, 1994 screenings of “Cool Runnings” and “Man’s Best Friend.”
Eastern Federal closed the Northgate 4 on May 2, 1993 as a sub-run dollar discount house and the films, “A Few Good Men,” “The Bodyguard,” “Sommersby,” “Mad Dog & Glory” and Alive.“ It was only operated by Eastern Federal.
The Paramount Theatre opened with Maurice Chevalier in Paramount’s “The Singing Lieutenant on August 6, 1931. The $300,000 Publix-Paramount project was built by Kaiser-Ducett of Joliet, Illinois. Following the Paramount Decree, Skirball Brothers operated the venue. It closed permanently on June 2, 1974. Demolition then began on June 10, 1974.
October 11, 1920 opening date
The Dreamland opened September 2, 1912. It closed after eight months in June of 1913. It was converted for other usage as Atwood’s Barber Shop in July of 1913.
Closed August 30, 2021 following legal challenges.
Opened in March of 1930
The theatre closed again on September 6, 2021 purportedly for renovations.
The Sun rose on New Year’s Eve 1939 with Mickey Rooney in “Andy Hardy Gets Spring Fever”
The Starlite Drive-In launched July 30, 1953 with Betty Hutton in “Annie Ge Your Gun.”
The St. Paul Opera House was built in 1880 by Nicholas J. Paul. The first movies to be shown in St. Paul were at the Opera House which was renamed Elite Theatre on June 16, 1911. The Elite appears to have opened on June 16, 1911 with movies. The theatre switched to talkies and played “The Jazz Singer” on June 16, 1930. James W.Crouch sold the Elite Theatre to Fred Jungclaus taking ownership following the February 28, 1930 shows.
Jungclaus renamed the venue as the Riviera Theatre beginning March 2, 1930 with Bebe Daniels in “Rio Rita.” Though the Riviera was active into the 1960s, regular operation ceased following the September 15, 1954 showing of “Francis Joins the Wacs.” Chamber of Commerce, special interest commercial and public service screenings and holiday films appeared into at least 1966 at the Riviera.
The other CinemaTreasure entry in St. Paul is a duplicate